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Thursday, September 18, 2008

At the Funking Conservatory Safety in professional wrestling is our top priority and we do teach Hardcore as an elective along with our regular wrestling programs.

There is a right way and a wrong way to do everything in professional wrestling including Hardcore. It is most important "when you do something" in professional wrestling. (Timing) It is also important "how you do something."

Hardcore has been around a long time. The Texas Death Match was invented by Dory Funk Sr. in the late 50's. Followed by the German Death Match, (Dory Funk Sr. vs Fritz Von Erich) Arabian Death Match, (Dory Funk Jr. vs The Sheik) and Russian Chain Match. (Dory Funk Sr. vs Iron Mike Dibiase)

In the German Death Match each man carried a large handkerchief to the ring and when it was completely filled with his opponent's blood he would be declared the winner.

The Arabian Death Match was the same as a Texas Death Match but there was six feet of sand around the ring. Falls counted inside the ring or in the sand around the ring.

In the Russian Chain Match to win you had to drag your unconscious opponent to the four corners of the ring touching each corner. A variation was the "Truckers Death Match" where you had to honk an air horn attached at the top of each corner post. (Based on the fact that when truckers had an issue, they would pull their rigs up and fight in the headlights. To be declared the winner they had to leave their opponent unconscious and crawl through four cabs and honk the air horns.)

There was the West Texas Death Match where each wrestler tied a rattlesnake's tail to his wrestling boot. When you covered your opponent and the referee counted three, you had to shake your leg and rattle the rattle to be declared winner of the match. Just Kidding, however this match did almost happen in Abilene, Texas between Don "the Lawman" Slatton and Thunderbolt Patterson.

Here at the Funking Conservatory our training program includes Hardcore wrestling. We train in the use of tables, ladders, chairs, trash cans and cookie sheets and we do it within our safety program.

Shane Chung and Elvis Sharp will be traveling to Japan to wrestle on All Japan Pro Wrestling's 36th Anniversary Tour. Osamu Nishimura returns to the Funking Conservatory to scout wrestling talent for All Japan Pro Wrestling Saturday October 4th and Sunday October 5th. Next !BANG! TV Taping Saturday and Sunday October 4th and 5th.

For more information and training schedules at the Funking Conservatory and tickets for !BANG! TV, Call 352-895-4658.